Man arrested after fires

Court: 18-year-old to appear in relation to a spate of blazes in the Gramps

Police have arrested a teenager in relation to wilful fire-raising on an Aberdeen hillside which has been hit by a spate of dangerous blazes.

Last night a spokeswoman for the force said an 18-year-old man had been arrested, and is expected to appear in court tomorrow, following a string of incidents in the Tullos Hill and Redmoss area of the Gramps, Aberdeen, which have dominated firefighters’ time over the past fortnight.

Fires have torn across several patches of grassland with emergency services banding together to launch a huge investigation into their possible cause.

At the weekend it was revealed that firefighters had mapped out known hotspots on the hillside as they attempted to get to the bottom of the recurring problem over the past fortnight.

The move came after crews had been called to the Gramps nature reserve on Kincorth Hill on 30 separate occasions within that period.

Police officers have also taken to bicycles and mounted increased patrols around the hill in an effort to spot anyone behaving suspiciously and potentially setting the dangerous blazes.

Concerns have been raised for the wildlife in the area and the site’s ancient Crab Cairn, a Bronze Age burial site dating back 4,000 years.

Thankfully firefighters have been able to prevent the fires from spreading to the historic monument.

Darren Riddell, the fire service’s group manager for Aberdeen City, also revealed wildlife rangers are now involved in the effort to keep the Gramps free of flames.

He added: “There has been a large number of wildfires within a relatively short space of time and these can have a significant impact on the lives of local people and on our wildlife and our environment.”

Last night Inspector Chris Kerr, of the Torry community policing team, thanked the public for their vigilance in providing information to help with the probe.

He added that any further suspicions should be reported to the police.

“We are very grateful for the information that we have received from members of the public so far, and I would urge anyone who thinks they may have encountered any suspicious activity in the area during this period to contact us on 101,” he said.

“A significant impact on the lives of local people”

DRAMA: Fires have torn across several patches of grassland with emergency services banding together to launch a huge investigation into their possible cause